Bicycle Sharing to Build New Paths in Naples

If it is possible to have an uncompromising affection for a city I have never visited, it would have to be Naples, Italy. Beset by many crises including the mounting heaps of trash that amassed on city streets, its citizens are fighting back. Social enterprise groups such as CleaNap and Friarielli Ribelli are mobilizing residents to take back the piazzas and alleys in what was once a proud and powerful city.

Now bicycling will become more seamless with a bicycle sharing program soon to emerge in Naples. Derev.com has raised funds via crowdfunding and now a venture capital group will fund Derev with an investment of €1.25m ($1.7m). It is a gutsy, risky venture, but as more cities adopt bike sharing programs, we have an opportunity to get more people out the door, exercise, be closer to their communities and feel as if they have a stake in their neighborhoods. You do not have to understand Italian to watch this well-produced and -executed video. The enthusiasm in Naples for this is infectious.